nobility
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nobility
A historically privileged social class whose members had special rights and high social status through birth or the granting of a title.
Im Mittelalter hatte der Adel großen Einfluss auf die Politik und besaß den größten Teil des Landes.
In the Middle Ages, the nobility had great influence on politics and owned most of the land.
nobility
All the people who still hold noble titles today, even though in many countries these no longer bring any legal privileges.
Die Boulevardpresse berichtet gerne über das Leben des europäischen Adels.
The tabloid press likes to report on the lives of the European nobility.
'Adel' (nobility) is a collective term for a group of people. The word is therefore used only in the singular and has no plural form.
Der Adel besaß früher viele Ländereien.
The nobility used to own many estates.
The adjective for 'der Adel' (the nobility) is 'adlig' (noble/aristocratic). An individual person from the nobility is called 'der Adlige' or 'die Adlige' (a nobleman/a noblewoman).
Sie stammt aus einer alten, adligen Familie.
She comes from an old, aristocratic family.
In a historical context, a distinction is often made between the 'hohen Adel' (high nobility; princes, dukes) and the 'niederen Adel' (lower nobility; knights). Fixed expressions include 'zum Adel gehören' (to belong to the nobility) or 'in den Adelsstand erheben' (to raise someone to the nobility).
Durch besondere Verdienste konnte ein Bürger in den Adelsstand erhoben werden.
Through special merit, a commoner could be raised to the nobility.
When people talk about 'europäischem Adel' (European nobility), royal houses, or reports in the 'Boulevardpresse' (tabloid press), they usually mean the modern group of people with noble titles, not the historical social class.
Die Hochzeit im schwedischen Adel war ein großes Medienereignis.
The wedding among the Swedish nobility was a major media event.
